


Between Before and After

by still_lycoris



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Extra Trick, Friendship, Gen, Pre-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-23 02:46:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12496872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/still_lycoris/pseuds/still_lycoris
Summary: Chris knows that he ought to call Josh.





	Between Before and After

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CariadWinter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CariadWinter/gifts).



Chris played with his phone.

He flicked it open, closed it again, then opened it with a pretty nifty wrist flick, like an action hero. He ran his thumb over the keys, unlocked it, played a dumb game for a few minutes, closed it, closed the phone, opened it again ... yeah, if there was some sort of record of playing with your phone rather than actually phoning someone on it, Chris figured he’d have won the prize.

Josh’s number was right there, saved inside. Not that he needed it, Josh’s number was one of the few that he knew by heart. There had been times when he’d called it pretty much every day, just to check in or say something goofy or whatever. They chewed over homework and bullied each other regarding girls (or lack of girls) and planned elaborate pranks ...

Yeah. Probably wouldn’t be doing _that_ again anytime soon.

He flipped open the phone again and pressed the buttons to bring up the call menu, staring at the last two times he’d called Josh. Before ...and after.

Before had been so good. He’d been excited about the cabin. They always had a good time at the cabin, always. Snowball fights and stupid snowmen and late nights inside by the fire while they listened to the creepy noises in the dark outside ... yeah, it was always a blast. And this time, he’d been even more excited really. They hadn’t really talked about it, hadn’t really put it into words or anything but ... yeah. It had been going to be special. Chris has been sure of it.

Yeah. It had been special all right.

Chris looked at the record of the last phone call. It had been ... pretty short.

_“This is all your fault! You shouldn’t have let me get drunk! If I’d been awake, it would have all been okay! It’s your fault!”_

He hadn’t done it on purpose. Josh probably knew he hadn’t done it on purpose. Josh probably hadn’t meant any of it. He was super-upset and freaked out and really, who could blame him? He got like that sometimes and usually, Chris just shrugged it off but this was different. Hannah and Beth were _gone_. He wanted to be there for his friend but how could you be there for someone who was mad at you?

Well. By phoning them. Only he still wasn’t phoning. He was just sitting there. Playing with the phone. Like an idiot.

Josh was his best friend. Josh was the person he cared for most in the whole world. He needed to get a fucking grip and press the button and yeah, maybe Josh would yell at him again or maybe he wouldn’t but whatever he did, at least Chris would have rung him and stopped being so pathetic.

He hit speed dial before he could talk himself out of it again, then pressed the phone to his ear, swallowing hard. Josh would answer. Josh would answer and maybe he’d shout and maybe he wouldn’t but at least it would give Chris a chance to try and get it back to normal.

He just wanted everything to get back to normal.


End file.
